


Eyes

by madd13



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 22:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3827608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madd13/pseuds/madd13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruno Sakura, on a peaceful mission, finds herself in a not so peaceful position when she runs into Uchiha Itachi when he plans to use her for underhanded means. But can he stay entirely cold the entire time? ItaSaku Rated M for later chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Haruno Sakura sighed in relief as she took a small sip from her teacup. The pink haired medic, now twenty-one years old, sat in a small tea house in one of the smaller countries as she let her chakra start working itself back up again. She was there on a mission, current status completed, and there was a little time before she had to get going again. The hospital here was smaller than the one in Konohagakure, but it was sufficient for the size of the village. There were a few patients that were now recovering that had needed her specifically to extract poison from their system. So, like any caring medic, she had jumped at the chance to come here and help out.

Unbeknownst to her, this was probably one of the worst moves she could have made. There were dangers lurking in the darkest corner of the teahouse. But she was far too at ease to notice at the moment. Further misfortune would befall the pretty young medic since she hadn't the strength to properly defend herself because most of her chakra was used for healing. She would only be able to run so far before being caught and forced into submission.

A sharp-toothed grin faltered. "Hey. What is wrong with you?" A former Kiri-nin asked his comrade. He leaned forward, bothered that he wasn't being listened to. But the man across from him didn't have attention for him. Instead, he was looking at the young woman across the room. She was so familiar that it took only a minute before he realized who she was. She would be perfect. Her reputation preceded her and meant he would be able to help him until he reached his goal. Perhaps she would be a pawn as well.

"Hn." The darker man answered. His currently obsidian eyes were locked on the kunoichi that would be of great use to him and didn't intend on sharing the plan – not even with the shinobi across from him.

After another half-hour, Sakura rose, paid, and walked out of the small shop into the late evening. She would leave in the morning for home and give Naruto, now Hokage, a positive report and hopefully have a nice night out with a few of her other friends. But the wind that blew from behind her, taking her long rosette tresses to flutter in front of her, was a foreboding one. The two from the corner followed silently, one signaling the other to keep back, to not allow his bloodlust to take him over and ruin what he was about to do.

With a simple Genjutsu, and quite a bit of pain, the Uchiha followed Sakura invisibly into the inn she was staying in for the night. Not a person realized she was being shadowed into her room, not even the medic herself. After all, why would a little place like this have trouble lurking through it? She grinned to herself as she shut the door with a soft click.

A small yelp escaped her lips as she turned to see Itachi of all people lounging on her bed. His blood red Sharingan eyes were trained on her, watching every movement and waiting for her to do something. But she wouldn't; he already knew she wouldn't be able to fight or run. Though she was a good deal better off than she had been a little while ago, she still needed a good night's rest to be formidable in a fight. The smallest of smirks curled his lips upward.

"Medic. You will be coming with me." He commanded. His lilting baritone voice was like velvet, but held the edge of steel that left her no choice. He wouldn't be taking no for an answer, even if it meant a bigger headache than he had now.

Sakura's bright green eyes, surprised and slightly afraid, turned hard and defiant. "I will not. What makes you think I would ever go anywhere with you?" She spat, her adopted attitude she had gotten from Tsunade already showing through. She crossed her arms and glared at the man that had lost her a friend and a long lost love. Sasuke had been driving out of Konoha in a sense, wanting nothing but power so he could fight and kill the man in front of her. He was driven by revenge and she wouldn't forgive Itachi for that.

With grace, the longhaired Uchiha rose and moved towards the woman. He was actually able to loom over her. "You will come because I say so. You will find out your purpose soon." He assured her, confidence evident in every fiber of him. And stupidly, Sakura looked into his eyes that spoke nothing but truth at the moment. She would be leaving with him and she couldn't even defend against it.

Still, she stood to her full height, feigning bravery as if she were going to fight. But she already made her mistake and the tomoe in Itachi's eyes began to spin, locking her gaze there. He reached for her, going straight to a pressure point that would knock her unconscious. The small medic lost focus and slumped forward into the eldest(to her knowledge) Uchiha's waiting arms. He picked her up, carrying her easily to the window and left silently.

\----

"Why are you dragging that around?" Kisame questioned with a sneer and gesturing at Sakura's limp form. He didn't like the idea of having extra weight slowing them down on the way back to the base. He glared at Itachi who, as always, gave him an impassive look. This was hardly part of any of his plans and he didn't see how Sakura of all people would be of any use.

"She's the best medic. She can keep the darkness away until he comes." Was the answer the shark-like man received. Darkness, or blindness. That was the curse of the Sharingan and the only answer was Itachi taking Sasuke's eyes. That would give him permanent sight and he wouldn't have to worry about his failing eyesight anymore. With a low growl, Kisame nodded in understanding and relented to Itachi's wish.

He took the woman from the Uchiha and tossed her carelessly over his shoulder. She would most likely have a bruise from the action by the time she woke up. He continued to grumble quietly to himself, not getting why he had to carry the baggage if it was for Itachi's gain and not his.

Their trip from the small village to the Akatsuki base was a quick one, only a few hours at top speed through a dense forest. Once arriving at the well-cloaked space they could call 'home', Kisame tossed the still unconscious medic back to Itachi and walked off, taking his sword from his back to go train, relieving the tension he was feeling from the trip.

The Sharingan user shrugged it off, not truly caring about his partner and carrying Sakura to an empty room. He set her on the black sheeted bed and waited silently for her to get up.

\---

Sakura groaned as she rolled to her side, her head feeling heavy. She slowly opened her eyes to glance around the dimly lit room. This time she wasn't surprised to see Itachi's red and black clad form standing there. Without giving herself time to adjust to anything properly, she got to her feet and stood defensively. Her chakra was back up giving her a small chance against the man. But even if she had the luck of getting past him, she still had most of the other Akatsuki members roaming the base and wouldn't be able to get past all of them, particularly Kisame and his chakra-stealing weapon.

"Why?" The word was curt, short, and demanded all the reasons for her capture. She wouldn't be a willing captive and wouldn't do things just because she was told to. She would fight against him as much as possible and he would get nowhere if he had to keep subduing her.

An eyebrow raised at how quick Sakura reacted as she woke up. It was … mildly impressive. He let out a small, bemused sound and turned to face her completely. "You will heal my eyes to the best of your ability. I need you to do this until my little brother gets near. Then, you will bring him to me." He had enough time between her capture until now to think of a perfect plan that would get him permanent light.

Sakura's brow creased. She didn't understand what Sasuke would have to do with any of this. But from that moment, she saw it as a definite way to get out of here. She might even be able to save Sasuke as well. She would either completely avoid him, or do as Itachi said and go to him. But from there, she had to convince the younger Uchiha to come back to Konoha with her, get away from this place and not let Itachi have his way in whatever plan he had.

The pink haired girl straightened slightly, jade orbs obviously wary of everything the Uchiha said. But, regardless, she was a smart girl and knew she would do better to do as told for a while until a better opportunity presented itself for her escape. But there was one thing that he probably hadn't thought of – she had Konoha waiting for her arrival in two days time.

"They'll send people for me. I'm on a mission right now and they know that." She pointed, out finding some hope. Surely, Itachi would have to let her go and give up on her if one of the Great Shinobi Villages was waiting on the best medic. He wouldn't want them to come snooping around … wherever they were looking for her, which they would.

"I know." With those two words, her hope vanished. With a simple gesture from him, her gaze was brought to a paper in his hand. "You will write them a message telling them you have to stay longer. I will have it sent out." He instructed, gesturing again, this time to a small desk in the corner. Sakura was stuck in place for a moment, surprised he would think that deeply on her. But, he was a genius. She sighed in defeat and went to the chair and slumped down into it.

"I won't be hurt, will I?" She did have some measure of self-preservation and didn't want this to end in her death. She didn't watch as he moved to tower over her and set the paper in front of her. She waited in silence for her answer as she scrawled over the paper in her elegant script.

Only when she was done did he answer her. "You will remain unharmed if you behave." This made her frown. He wasn't one to explain things well and it grated at her nerves. His curt tone wasn't something she desired either. She thrust the paper in the air, inches in front of his nose.

Itachi glared down at her for a second before taking the message from her. "What does behave mean?" The Uchiha paused at the question, stopping a few feet from the door that would allow her the one glance outside this room she might ever get for a long while. He turned slightly to answer over his shoulder. "You will remain in this room, quiet. You will only leave when summoned and supervised. If you try to escape, I will not hesitate to kill you." The rules were simple. If she remained in the room she was in now, she would remain as she was now – not a scratch on her.

He moved to leave again, but stopped once more with his hand on the doorknob. "Nor will I stop any of the others attempts on your life if you try to leave of your own accord." He added, thinking of Kisame and how much he would enjoy killing the medic. Not waiting when she called for him once again, Itachi left and locked the door behind him. Sakura's questions on meals and bathroom would have to wait or go unanswered. Well, the meals anyway. She soon noticed that there was another door, leading to another room that would prove useful. She just had to hope they would feed her somewhat well while she was stuck with the Akatsuki.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three days since her capture. Sakura had been fed three times a day, enough food provided that it would sustain her until the next meal. She should be in the hospital right now, tending to the villagers of her home, chatting with friends. But no, she was stuck in the Akatsuki base, not knowing where she was actually located. The few times she had seen one of the Akatsuki members, they hadn't spoken – just setting the plate of food on the desk and swooping back out. The door was always locked and she knew better than to break it down.

She sighed and rested her hands on the tiled wall as she hung her head in the shower. This was doing nothing for her nerves and she could feel it in her back. She could only truly relax when she was out of here, allowed to run for it when Itachi sent her out to find Sasuke, whenever that was.

A sharp knock at the door made her jump and stirred her from her thoughts of escape. She blinked the water from the showerhead from her eyes and turned it off. She heard a soft command to get dressed and ready to work for the first time in days. She did as instructed, dressing in the black attire that she had been give at her request. It was the same thing that the rest of the Akatsuki wore, mesh top with an opaque torso, and black pants. Surprisingly, she found they didn't smell as if they were completely new, like they had belonged to one of the members, yet it fit quite well considering.

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom, toweling her long rose-y tresses dry of all extra moisture. The wet locks curled gently, creating small ringlets around her face as she looked to Itachi who was once again on her bed. "You could ask for help instead of demanding it," She scolded quietly, draping the wet towel over the back of her chair and moving to the head of the bed. "You'll get better reactions and more willing medics that way."

She only received a small 'hn' in response. Frowning, her fingers tugged his head up roughly so she could get him in a better position for her to work on his eyes. Itachi gave her a warning glare, telling her to be gentler with him or be hurt. She ignored it, uncaring that he could kill her with a single look. Still, she was nicer and carefully rested his head on her legs and set to work.

His problem was extensive. His eyes were so horribly damaged, her help would only be able to last so long until he ruined them again. She shook her head, a few drops of water they hadn't left her hair dripping from her bangs to his forehead. The green eyes that had been trained on black went to the droplets and Sakura gently wiped them away, being surprisingly nice about it as well.

This made Itachi frown slightly, studying the jade optics above him that held such caring in them. It was something he had never seen before. His own mother, years ago, had been void of emotions like he was. There was no love in his clan, seeming to be completely uncaring of anything in the world save for power. It was mildly interesting, but he hadn't the care in him to ask why, nor did he talk enough to want to listen to why she would have so much emotion within her when shinobi were supposed to be emotionless, fighting machines.

It took her an hour, and a considerable amount of chakra, to fix the Uchiha's eyes to a relatively stable condition. He would have a week at best before he would need her again. This would mean she was stuck with nothing to do, nothing to look forward to for seven days. That was unless he used his Sharingan more often than she had seen Sasuke use it. Chances were he did so he would be back in another few days.

Sakura sighed and really looked at the man resting on her lap. He was amazingly asleep. It seemed her cooling chakra and lulled him into a peaceful state and gave him the chance to properly recharge himself. She grinned down at him, finding him looking oddly angelic though she knew he had killed so many people. He had slaughtered his family, nearly killed her former sensei and he managed to look somewhat innocent in sleep.

But, she couldn't have him sleeping here with her since she herself needed to rest now. She was gentle while trying to rouse him, giving his shoulder a light shake and saying his name quietly. It was her damn medical side, caring for him like a mother would for her child rather than shoving him off like the woman that hated her torn friend's brother. Though she was kind about it, the green-eyed woman had a kunai to her throat faster than she could blink.

Itachi was a creature of habit and was always on guard. His eyes snapped open with the slightest prompting, onyx bleeding to crimson within seconds and protected himself. He had startled his medic and she stared down at him, barely breathing in shock. When he saw whom and where he was, he relaxed and sat up. He put the kunai away and shifted off the bed. He didn't bother with an apology or a show of gratitude.

He was out the door faster than she was able to recover and she was left to stare at the wooden door. Her nimble fingers brushed over where the blade had grazed her. No blood, thankfully. She had to make a note not to let him sleep or to react faster when she woke him up. With a sharp exhale, she shifted on the bed and laid down to get some sleep, getting her chakra back quickly.

\---

"Kunoichi!"

The single word, loud and abrasive, made her shudder and wake up with a groan. "It's Sakura," was her response and she rolled over to glare at the door. It was open already and the shark-like man of the organization stood there, filling the space easily. "Yeah, whatever. Get your ass up. Itachi wants to see you."

This brought a crease to Sakura's forehead and she got up. Her feet hit the floor soundlessly and she walked over to the waiting man. "What for?" She asked, wondering what she had done wrong to merit her being pulled from her room. "How should I know?" He shot back with a snarl. He put a large hand on her shoulder and shoved her in the direction she was to go. He barked the directions to her, following her down various hallways until they reached the right room. He gestured to it and disappeared the way they had come.

This both worried her and comforted her. Had he stayed, there may have been a good chance she was about to be hurt. But with him gone, she was once again alone with Itachi and she didn't know what to expect from him. She took a deep breath and pushed into the room to be met with quite the surprise.

A large enough mahogany table that would seat all of the Akatsuki if they were still at full force occupied the room. It must not have been used often since she didn't think any of them seemed likely to willingly sit down for a lovely dinner together. But now, there was a candelabrum at one end, set in front of a reclining Uchiha. Before him was an elegantly set place, a second waiting to his right. He gestured for her to sit with long fingers and the quickest of glances. She wasn't even sure he had even looked at her, but she moved anyway.

She was drawn to how nice things were set up, how the air was permeated by the smell of a good meal. Verdant eyes stared down at it before moving to obsidian orbs. "Did you cook this?" Her answer was a curt nod and still no true eye contact. It perturbed her slightly but she decided not to let it bother her too much. She picked up the chop sticks next to the plate and took her first bite.

"It's amazing," She praised quietly, her shock evident as she took a second bite. Still, he made no comment, no acknowledgement that he was aware of her surprise or explanation as to why he would know how to cook. The night was silent, not even noises from the others outside the door came to her ears. It made her uncomfortable though she dealt with it until she was finished.

"That was delicious. Thank you." Her voice was quiet as she put her napkin on the table. If she knew where the kitchen was, she would have gotten up to clean. But she only vaguely knew where her bedroom was. She would have to leave the cleaning to Itachi as well. She felt slightly bad that she couldn't do anything to help but it was his rules.

"You're welcome." The Uchiha spoke for the first time that night and rose from his high backed chair. He motioned for her to do the same and she obeyed. Another first of the night – their eyes met and she saw something strange there. She noted how the shadows cast from the flickering candlelight danced over his features, making his insomnia lines look deeper. He looked beautiful, making her heart beat like it used to when she saw his younger brother in certain lights when she was younger. But she also saw something else. His eyes were different.

In the orange glow, she saw mild curiosity directed at her. He wanted to understand what he had seen in her earlier. She had brushed water from his face with such care that afternoon and he couldn't figure out why. Sakura was so much different from what he was used to; he had to understand her better but he couldn't even bring himself to speak. He was programmed to be silent, give as much information as was needed only when it was needed. He didn't intend on changing himself just for her, just to find out what was so different from her, even though she had found a small way to catch his attention and give him something to break the monotony of Akatsuki life.

Since he wasn't going to change, he would just have to read her like he did others. He would logically put her answers and reactions to things and others on his own then go from there. But for now, he would leave her to be the perplexing enigma she was. "Come. Back to your room." He ordered, brushing passed her and out the door.

Sakura followed quickly and kept on his heels. "Why did you do that?" She asked. The medic needed to know. It seemed too soft to be something Itachi of all people would do. She would soon realize that it was his way of thanking her for keeping blindness at bay. It would be his way of thanking her for bringing Sasuke to him and indirectly giving him permanent light. She didn't know it yet, but she was now the key to him getting what he wanted. She was vital though she couldn't be treated as anything special.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" She pressed again. She tapped on his shoulder to get his full attention but got nothing. "Hey, I want an answer." Their pace was quick and they arrived at her door quicker than she had gotten to the dining room. "Well?" She moved to stand in front of him and put her hands on her hips. She wouldn't budge until she had some kind of answer from him.

"Good night." His sharp tenor left no room for her to press him further again. Still she didn't back down and didn't move into the room. He simply stared down at her, meeting her glare evenly, no sign of his curiosity in his dark eyes again. So much for them being the window to the soul, or the one thing that would give away emotions. Sakura saw nothingness in them and huffed, slamming the door in his face as she stormed in. He smirked lightly and locked the door.

The smirk turned into a frown quickly, though. He let out a heavy sigh and started down the hallway towards his own room. He hung his head, ebony bangs falling in a curtain around his pale face. She was so complex, he now understood some of Sasuke's attraction to her. He knew his brother didn't love the girl, but he had a place in his heart for both her and the Jinchuuriki. They had emotions and made an impression on him that made him weak. That was why she was needed for this. But if the younger Uchiha took long enough in getting near, would he be able to fight without gaining injury, as usual. Would he be able to last the fight without bringing her up and allowing some opening for Sasuke to hurt him?

No. Impossible. Itachi would be fine and only use the girl before killing her after she had served her purpose of getting him eternal sight. She would be the downfall of her own friend and make him the most powerful shinobi. Once he had Sasuke, he wouldn't have a weakness such as headaches to slow him down and allow someone the chance to break through his defenses and defeat him.


	3. Chapter 3

A month past since that dinner. Both parties still thought on it, though Itachi quite a bit less than Sakura. He was preoccupied with his brother's whereabouts and the other members of Akatsuki. He had also been on missions, a few of them being self-assigned to send word to Konoha that their medic was fine and needed a little more time elsewhere. They would get suspicious soon, but hopefully 'her' continued correspondence with them would keep their worries about her to a minimum. At least she was alive, right?

But the rosette haired captive had thought on it often, wondering why, trying to understand what he had been curious about. That had been the only thing that had broken his stoic personality and intrigued her. There had been questions when he brought her meals and the three other times he had come to her for medical care. But nothing got answered. He was always quiet, sweeping in and out quickly and falling asleep in her lap. She sighed heavily as she lay on her bed, head hanging off the end as she stared at the wall.

The door creaked, drawing her attention to the other side of the room. Itachi, the very being of her thoughts, materialized in her room with lunch. She sat up and started to get up to sit at her desk and eat there, as usual. But he motioned for her to stay. Her expression went from blank, to curious, to angry. He had to stop ordering her and had to start explaining things. The few times she actually said something to him about it, she had gotten nothing but 'hn's as an answer.

Still, she remained where she was, crossing her legs and receiving the plate graciously. She thanked him and waited for him to leave. Her jade eyes went from the plate to the Uchiha as the bed shifted under his weight, signaling that he was sitting with her and wasn't going to leave. "You may ask a few questions now," He told her formally and tersely, his tone never changing from its monotone. He didn't care that he seemed vaguely warm towards her when he did speak – this truly being the first time –, or that one night when he had made dinner for her, then immediately went cold again.

This only angered her further. "Why the hell did you bring me here, cook dinner, then not talk to me for weeks?" She asked, irate. She wanted to throw the plate at him, but knew better. That would be considered misbehaving and earn her some form of torture. Also, she didn't want to go until the night without something in her stomach. So, instead, she ate what was on the plate, but with attitude if that were possible.

"You are here because I require your services, I felt like cooking, and I don't talk often." He answered softly. He made it sound as if she were having little effect on him though he was burning to understand her now that he had a moment to think over her reactions and saw how vivid she was getting in her anger. He studied her closely, watching each small movement for anything that would hint at any other emotions that could be intermingling with rage.

"Why are you willing to talk now?" She said after a short silence and putting the plate down and out of her immediate grasp. If she got any more upset, that would be her one weapon against him since he had been prudent enough to devastate her of her various pouches and even her medical skirt. He had left her with her only outfit she had had with her, now replaced with a few sets of Akatsuki outfits, sans cloak of course.

Itachi shifted as she did; he crossed his legs, back pin straight, as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I felt it time to enlighten you on a few things." He replied simply, watching her expression change from anger to wariness for a moment before shifting once more into curiosity. And so it went for the better part of an hour. She asked questions, and he gave short, to the point answers.

He gave no information on his current plan, most of his past, and nothing of where they were. Sakura was only allowed to know small things about him, inconsequential things that he didn't care about, such as his like of sweets, particularly dango. He hadn't been allowed any when he was young, but now had random cravings for such things and indulged himself without guilt.

These were just dirty little secrets that few, if anyone, knew. Why she was allowed to know, she would probably never understand. But to him, this was one person that he felt he could trust – to a point. There was just something different about her, something that made him want to share the little things with like he had no one else. Itachi was just as confused as she was and he didn't like it one bit. He would have to think over all this in depth that night.

When Sakura ran out of questions for the moment, the Akatsuki stood and swept out without another word, as usual. It left the medic to stare at the door, scratching her head. It was surprising to know that, save for the clouds, his cloak was his favorite piece of attire and favorite colors. She doubted his partner would know that. She didn't think anyone ever would. It made her feel … special in a way to know he would impart such details to her. It made her feel more connected to the mysterious man and was the start of something that could ruin her.

The next day, the same time, the Uchiha entered the captive's room but didn't speak. He had returned to the cold being he usually was and set the plate he had in his hand on the desk. He felt green eyes on him, curious, longing (for conversation he supposed), and something else that he couldn't place. He didn't acknowledge it. He left quickly and grinned to himself, the expression barely registering on his lips. There was a new part to the plan, and it had started working already.

Crimson optics studied a piece of paper on a large desk. Black tipped fingers tapped restlessly on the wood in aggravation. He was moving to slow for Itachi's liking. Sasuke had to pick up his pace soon or the elder Uchiha would be lost. He knew he was going to use Sakura's feelings against her; he was going to get her to love him, or close to it. He just didn't count on his own heart feeling oddly lightened now that he had shared intimate details about himself with someone.

But he was better than that. He wouldn't be swayed by useless things such as emotions and could distance himself easily. He would make it seem like he was falling for her, changing for her, but it would be an illusion. It would be as if he were using his Mankeyou on her, creating a completely different world where he was a 'normal' human being. That was all it could be. He couldn't let the pink haired powerhouse get to him like she had gotten to his little brother. It was because of her and the blonde that Sasuke was weak and still couldn't beat him.

He sighed and straightened up, running his hand through raven locks that were free flowing instead of tied back. A few of the longer strands fell forward, draping over his shoulder and resting on his clothed chest. This was going to be difficult. The only hope he really had for this illusion to really work was her imagination. Itachi had to hope it was strong enough to make something out of nothing. Starting next week, he would give her looks with his dead eyes and she would see some form of emotion in them with any luck. Then things would be more interesting and better for him when Sasuke finally got close enough for him to put the last few parts of his plan into action.

As usual, that next week, the Uchiha went to her for his usual healing session. He found the medic on the bed, reading a scroll she must have found in the room. He didn't think anyone would give her one and risk feeling his wrath. They didn't know what was and wasn't allowed to be at her disposal during her months with them. "Medic, please, put that down," he said to get her attention as he entered quietly.

"I'm starting to think you all just call me 'medic' and 'kunoichi' to get on my nerves." She shot back quickly, more stating a fact than sounding upset about it. She couldn't remember a single time one of the men, or the woman with a flower in her hair and classic beauty, had ever called her 'Sakura'. She sighed and did as told, rolling the parchment up and setting it beside her bed. She shifted so she was in their customary position and waited for Itachi to rest his head on her lap.

This time he surprised her. Not by correcting himself by calling her by her name, but he asked about her reasoning for becoming a medic. As her hands hovered near his temples, she looked right into the black depths of his eyes. As he had planned, she saw genuine interest in them. It startled her and kept her silent for a moment. Blinking out of her daze, Sakura rested her hands on his head and started healing his eyes, then went into explaining that she wanted to be of some use to her team. Being a medic was the one way she was sure she would be able to help them even though she was still weaker than them, despite her best efforts.

She sighed when she finished explaining herself to the Uchiha, expecting him to have fallen asleep and leave her to mull over how powerful the rest of her team was. The Hokage had Kyuubi, giving him unlimited chakra when his own ran out though gaining the fourth tail or more could kill him. Sasuke had the Sharingan and a curse seal thanks to Orochimaru. Kakashi, her first teacher had Sharingan as well and could create vortexes with it. But Tsunade, her second teacher, she was stronger than her. Sakura was able to perform more medical jutsu than the Sannin. That was her one consolation in all this.

But Itachi didn't let her dwell too long on such thoughts. He asked about what things were like when she was a genin. His velvet voice breaking the silence made her falter again. She hadn't thought him the type to share things and be so willing to listen to others. He was throwing surprise after surprise at her and she wasn't sure what to make of him anymore. Perhaps he was just misunderstood. He no longer seemed like the monster Sasuke and Kakashi, along with everyone else in Konoha, had painted him to be. He was being very kind to her overall and wasn't allowing his bloodthirsty friend take so much as a swing at her though she could see in Kisame's gleaming black eyes how much he wanted to.

But this was a good opportunity to strengthen whatever connection was there with the man lying before her. So, she went into how weak she had felt and how useless she had been. She condensed all her years up to the Chuunin Exams. That was when she was able to prove herself to some extent though she didn't tell him about that. He hadn't asked how they had gotten through the written portions, survived the Forest, or how they had done during the final rounds. She was picking up his habit of giving information that was asked for, nothing more. Though she was still much more verbose in her responses than he was.

She sighed quietly as her hands fell away from him, her healing for the day finished. Itachi sat up and turned to face her. Though she had long put those years of mild of oppression behind her, it still hurt a little. Her eyes showed the somberness the recollection of those years brought. He raised a hand and gently brushed her pink bangs behind her ear. Sakura stared with wide eyes and nearly forgot to breathe.

"You didn't think I was a complete monster, did you?" He asked rhetorically. He didn't give her enough time to answer as his fingertips brushed over her cheek when his hand fell. He got up and left her to marvel at how much he was changing. He would let her think that she was actually getting to him and finding a way to get into his heart. She was, but he would never admit that to anyone – even himself.


End file.
